What’s a Bar Without Beer?

How can a place that serves tequila & cocktails forget all about this tasty beverage?

The existence of this intoxicating drink has been with the development of civilization since time began. Thousands of years of recorded history portrays mankind’s everlasting fascination with beer and its brewing process’.

Old Egypt has hieroglyphics depicting many brewing methods. Usually it was the baker who dispensed with the golden liquid of life as well as bread. And don’t forget about the nobles and religious hierarchies. They always had close associations with making and drinking beer in ceremonial establishments.

All the world over the art of brewing this unique beverage has been recorded for posterity. Its importance to the development of civilization cannot be denied. Peoples in Africa used barley and millet to brew what in some parts they call Bousa. The Russians use rye and call it quass or Kvass, the Chinese Samshu, and the Japanese have Sake, using rice as the primary ingredient.

Out of all the brewing techniques in the world the Germans lay claim to greatness when it comes to brewing beer. And later Lager beer imported from Germany drove America’s claim to independent brewery’s and sometimes even a little moonshine. Back in colonial days most households brewed their own beer as drinking water was considered unsanitary unless it was treated.

Usually, beer i brewed and fermented with malted barley and other starchy cereals and flavored with hops. Beer is a generic term for all malted beverages. There are several different types of ‘bottom-fermentation’ brews:

– Lager: Bright, clear, and light bodied. Brewed from malt (sometimes cereal such as corn or rice) hops, and water. Lager means stored for aging and sedimentations. Then it’s carbonated, stored, and sold accordingly.

– Pilsner: is a label for light beers. It comes from Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. This is NOT a separate type of beer.

– Bock: beer is a special type heavy beer, usually more dark and sweeter tasting than most other brews.

– Malt: liquor is usually brewed like beer but it contains more alcohol than regular beer. The color is light and pale. Not to be confused with Stout.

– Ale: is an aromatic brew with a full body and is usually more bitter tasting than beer. It’s brewed from malt or malt and cereal and fermented at a higher temperature than regular beer. This makes the yeast rise to the top. Hence, the ‘top-fermentation’ of the brew.

– Porter: is a low alcohol brew with a bittersweet taste. Later, when brewers increased the alcohol content it became known as ‘Extra Stout’ and Stout became its own type of brew. Both Porter and Stout are dark in color.

Beer is one of the healthiest beverages the world over. The carbohydrates furnish the food value giving you energy, the proteins help assimilate food, the hops stimulate appetite, and the carbon dioxide gas helps to create a cooling and refreshing effect for the body. Beer is great with almost any kind of food. We at Tequila Reef Cantina take pride in serving all the beers from around the world. If you know of a particular brand or micro-brew that you think would be good to serve please let us know about it. Who knows, we might even serve it someday…

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